and have no doubt the Acacia is protected from them by 
its little warriors. The thorns, when they are first deve- 
loped, are soft, and filled with a sweetish, pulpy substance ; 
so that the-ant, when it makes an entrance into them, finds 
its new house full of food. It hollows this out, leaving ; 
only the hardened shell of the thorn. Strange to say, this — 
treatment seems to favour the development of the thorn, 
as it increases in size, bulging out towards the base ; 
whilst in my plants that were not touched by the ants, — 
the thorns turned yellow, and dried up into dead but pera 
sistent prickles. Iam not sure, however, that this may : 
not have been due to the habitat of the plant not sulting 
it. 
“These ants seem to lead the happiest of existences. — 
Protected by their stings, they fear no foe. Habitations — 
full of food are provided for them to commence house- — 
keeping with ; and cups of nectar and luscious fruits awalt — 
them every day. But there is a reverse to the picture. 
In the dry season, on the plains, the Acacie@ cease to_ 
grow. No young leaves are produced, and the old glands 
do not secrete honey. Then want and hunger overtake 
the ants that have revelled in luxury all the wet season; 
many of the thorns are depopulated, and only a few ants 
live through the season of scarcity. As soon, however, a3 — 
the first rains set in, the trees throw out numerous — 
vigorous shoots, and the ants multiply again with astonish- 
ing rapidity.”’—Belt., ‘The Naturalist in Nicaragua, 
p. 218 (1874). 
Fig. 1, Portion of leaf with pj le; § ; i ith bracts and 
male flowers :—Both enlarged, Se cies nipadeag hd elim: 
